Navigating Job Change
Navigate Your Next Career Move
A job search as project management with many involved steps! When you are ready to undergo a job search (whether internal or external), developing weekly goals and action steps, along with creating a mechanism to measure your success is critical. Utilize these important tips and stay accountable by engaging with your career coach through frequent check-ins.
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Cover Letter
A well-written cover letter can entice or persuade a prospective employer to read your resume, leading to the possibility of a future discussion. It can explain your interest in the company and your unique value-add. A cover letter is a direct, personalized response with the main objective to display your qualifications clearly, which in turn demonstrates a fit between what you can offer an employer, the value you bring, and the job description requirements.
Offer Negotiation
The negotiation process is an opportunity to define, communicate, and achieve what you want out of the job offer. Negotiation requires gathering information, planning your approach, considering different alternatives and viewpoints, communicating clearly, and making decisions to reach your goal. Negotiations are an option for every new job, or every performance review. Not exclusive to external job offers, negotiation can take place for internal promotions or even continuation of a current role. The purpose in a negotiation is to increase job satisfaction and, ultimately, to improve your opportunities for job fulfillment and happiness.
Rules of Offer Negotiation
Be truthful without giving away too much negotiating power.
In most situations, there is about $3,000 to $5,000 of “wiggle room.”
Have your employer name a number first (there can be exceptions to this).
Your chances of being successful will increase if you are gracious and polite.
Don’t list a rounded number. Researchers say that, for example, $64,750 is a better ask than $65,000.
Think about other non-salary parts of the offer you can negotiate for, such as flex time, an earlier salary review, upgraded software, and more.
After being at your job for some time, you should go to your employer and look at your contract again.
You should negotiate when:
- You have the written offer in hand.
- You can clearly pitch the value you are bringing to the company.
- You know you might resent the job quickly without fair compensation.
- You are going to decline unless the salary offered is higher.
You should not negotiate when:
- You have no justification for a different offer.
- You already accepted the offer at the lower number.
- They tell you this is their best offer.